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fions from the top of the mountain were much 
louder than any thunder I ever heard, and the fmell 
of the fulphur was very cffenfive. My guide alarm- 
ed took to his heels ; and I muff confefs that I 
was not at my eafe. I followed clofe, and we ran 
near three miles without hopping ; as the earth con- 
tinued to (hake under our feet, 1 was apprehenfive of 
the opening of a frefh mouth, which might have 
cut off our retreat. I alfo feared that the violent 
» 
explofions would detach fome of the rocks off 
the mountain of Somma, under which we were 
obliged to pafs ; belides, the pumice-ftones, falling 
upon us like hail, were of luch a fize as to caufe a 
difagreeable fen fat ion upon the part where they fell. 
After having taken breath, as the earth hill trembled 
greatly, I thought it moff prudent to leave the 
mountain, and return to my villa, where I found 
my family in a great alarm at the continual and 
violent explofions of the volcano, which fhook our 
houfe to its very foundation, the doors and windows 
fwinging upon their hinges. About two of the 
clock in the .afternoon another lava forced its way out 
of the fame place from whence came the lava laft year, 
at the fpot marked B (in Plan II.), fo that the con- 
flagration was foon as great on this fide of the moun- 
tain as on the other, which I had juft left. 
The noife and fmell of fulphur encreafing, we 
removed from our villa to Naples; and I thought 
proper, as I palled by.Portici, to inform the court 
of what I had feen ; and humbly offered it as my 
opinion, that his Sicilian majefty fhould leave the 
neighbourhood of the threatening mountain. How- 
ever, the court did not leave Portici till about twelve 
of the clock, when the lava had reached as far as 
